Genetically Modified Foods

When cars had big fins and the Space Race wasn’t just a video game, engineered food was all the rage, and kids dropped all their lunch money on synthetic astronaut drinks and freeze-dried ice cream.

Today, engineered food has a somewhat different stigma. Preservatives and food colorings are suspect and the latest, greatest morsels science has to offer — genetically modified organisms — can be downright scary. But before you make any snap judgments about the scientists who are working to make the world a better place, take the time to learn what Genetically Modified Organisms (GMOs) are.

What are GMO foods?

GMO foods are made from genetically modified organisms, usually plants. The plants have altered genes and thus attributes that make them easier to farm. Some can resist pests better than natural varieties. Others don’t mind chemical insecticides and most can out-grow and out-produce their natural cousins.

The first GMO was a tomato plant, grown by the California company Calgene in 1994. It produced rot-resistant tomatoes dubbed Flavr Savrs. These mutated tomatoes were much more expensive than regular tomatoes and were usurped by conventional varieties. Today, many crops have been genetically modified, including soybeans, corn, cotton, and canola. Most GMO crops are grown in North America, specifically the U.S.

Keep in mind, however, that humans have been genetically modifying their crops for a millennium through selective breeding. The main difference is technique. GM crops are modified by direct manipulation of the plants DNA. Old-fashioned crops are modified the old-fashioned way, by breeding.

Why make GMOs?

The down and dirty answer is quite simply: Profits. Farming is tough. A blight or pest invasion can devastate a years’ work in no time and wipe out an entire farm altogether. This uncertainty makes farming a bad investment. Bad investments and poor profits make corporations and consumers unhappy. GMO crops can be more resistant to the slings and arrows of life, bringing much-needed stability to farming. They can also increase output, which leads to lower prices and more satiated vegetarians (or humans, for that matter). Hence, big agribusinesses have dumped a lot of money and time into GMO crops. But that’s just one side of the story. Many scientists say that GMO crops have the potential to solve the world’s hunger problems as well.

Are GMOs safe?

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration and other governmental agencies say yes. Each has its own thorough and bureaucratic methods for ensuring complete safety in foods. And for the most part, they work. In 1999, however, a Scottish biochemist allegedly found evidence that GMO potatoes were toxic to rats. His findings were later debunked and he was suspended from his research institute for releasing the bogus info. Nonetheless, his announcement sparked turmoil in Europe over GM crops. Many Europeans simply refused to accept foods made from GM crops or animals. Today the modified crops are rare in Europe and many North American consumers (and scientists) believe that the FDA’s safety procedures are too lax. They point to big agribusinesses, who have a big influence on American politics and the FDA. So the real answer to this question is — probably, but there’s always a risk.